CHICAGO, IL (August 10, 2009) – Sr. M. Paul McCaughey, O.P., Superintendent of Catholic Schools, announced today that the new Academy of St. Priscilla will open its doors at Divine Savior Parish, 7740 W. Montrose Avenue in Norridge, on September 2, 2009. The Academy will provide 3-through 8-year-olds a Catholic faith-based education using the teaching methods of Differentiated Instruction and Project-Based Learning in a Montessori approach.

The Academy of St. Priscilla at Divine Savior will be the first school in the Archdiocese of Chicago to solely use these teaching methods, with the focus primarily on Early Childhood Catholic Education. Here the children will not only receive a quality faith-based education, but an education tailored to meet the needs of all students.

“The Academy of St. Priscilla Board of Specified Jurisdiction worked tirelessly the past eight months to serve the mission of Catholic education,” remarked Sr. McCaughey. “The Academy’s Director, Jennifer Hodge, herself a St. Priscilla grad, brings a thorough knowledge of the curriculum and high energy to the new school. We are grateful to Bishop Thomas Paprocki and Fr. Richard LoBianco for opening up a site, which will be student-ready for the start of the school year.”

“This will be a wonderful opportunity for our children to truly excel and become proficient in various content areas,” said Ms. Hodge. “Our children will also have the use of laptops in the classrooms, which will aide in recognizing the variance in learning styles of the children. I am delighted to be apart of the new Academy for the Archdiocese of Chicago. The school has been transformed into an academic center of faith-based education for our early childhood students.”

“The opportunity these children will have in a hands-on environment will make a huge difference in their overall learning,” said Tanya Boyle, pre-kindergarten teacher. “Not all children learn in the same way, and a learning environment such as ours is sensitive to that. Children will have a higher chance of success in a differentiated, instruction-based classroom.”

The decision to locate the Academy at Divine Savior Parish comes while construction for capital and leasehold improvements are being conducted at St. Priscilla Parish. The Academy’s Board of Specified Jurisdiction plans to work throughout the course of the school year with St. Priscilla pastor Fr. Idzi Stacherczak to determine the best uses of the school building at St. Priscilla Parish.

When the Academy of St. Priscilla opens on September 2, it will welcome children ages three to eight, from 3-year-old preschool through second grade. Applications are still being accepted. For more information, please contact Jennifer Hodge, jhodge@academysp.org.